Vise having stepped movable jaws lockable to fixed jaw



Jan. 3l, 1956 M. E. BEHR 2,732,745

VISE HAVING' STEPPED MOVABLE JAWS LOCKABLE TO FIXED JAW Filed Sept. 26, 1951 United States Patent VSE HAVING STEPPED MOVABLE JAWS LOCKABLE T FIXED JAW Martin E. Behr, Chicago, Ill.,

Irwin Panter Application September 26, 1951, Serial No. 248,426 3 Claims. (Cl. til-33) 'This invention 'relates `tov a vise particularly adapted to be used in the milling of metal. The vise ofthe present invention is provided with a plurality of movable jaws of varying height so that work may be positioned between any one of the movable jaws and a fixed jaw on the front end of said vise. l

Milling viseslnown to the art are commonly provided with a lixed jawv andbut one movable jaw, the work being positioned between the-fixed and movable jaws. The movable jaw is usually positioned on a clamping block and the distance to-which the -visecan be opened is limited. The present invention allows a much larger piece of work to be inserted betweenithe iixed jaw and one of the movable jaws than was heretofore possible in prior art vises. This is true because more than one movable jaw is provided andthe rearmost movable jaw may be positioned a substantial distance from the'xed jaw-a distance much greaterthan ispossible with but a single movable jaw, Vand because the height of the movable jaws increase successively from the lixed jaw.

By providing more than one movable jaw, the vise of the present invention allows the work to be more rapidly inserted than was heretofore possible with vises having but a single movable jaw. The work may be inserted between the fixed jaw and that movable jaw which is positioned a distance from the xed jaw which most nearly approximates the size of the work. Thus, the work may be placed in the vise with a minimum of opening or closing of the movable jaws. Furthermore, by providing a ledge or surface on the top of the successively higher movable jaws, the vise of the present invention enables an operator to eiciently clamp a thin piece of work between the xed jaw and one of the movable jaws; the ledge or top surface of one of the immediately preceding movable jaws serving as a support for such a thin piece of work.

Other advantages of the vise of the present invention will become apparent upon a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the vise of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the vise; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective exploded view of the rst movable jaws, clamping block and second movable jaw.

Referring to the drawings, the vise has a base made of suitable material, preferably a ne quality steel. A jaw 11 extends upwardly from the forward end of the base. Jaw 11 is provided with a work-engaging face 12. Jaw 11 may have a removable plate 11a suitably attached thereto, for example, by means of screws 11b passing through a bore 11e in jaw 11 and plate 11a. Plate 11a is higher than jaw 11 and has a work-engaging face 12a. Jaw 11, either with or without plate 11a attached thereto, constitutes a xed jaw which holds one end of the work; one end of the work being held by face 12 when plate 11a is not in place and when plate 11a is assignor of fifty per cent to ice in place,"one end of Vthe work is heldby face 12a. If

Y ing block 15 (which is actually a movable jaw) and a second movable jaw 16, Jaw 14 has a work-engaging face 17; clamping block or jaw 15 has a work-engaging face 18, and jaw 16 hasa work-engaging face 19.

First movable jaw 14 is provided with a pair of threaded apertures 21 extending through but a portion of its length. Clamping block 15 is provided with apertures 22 extending.. completely through the block and similaiapertures 23 extend through second movable jaw 16. Apertures 21, 22 and 23 are in axial alignment and bolts 23' passing therethrough serve to securely hold jaw 14, clamping block 15 and jaw 16 together. If desired, slide member 13 may be made in one piece.

Jaw 14 is also provided Vwith a pair of downwardly extending legs or flanges 24, and similar pairs of anges 2S and 26 are provided on block 15 and jaw 16.-- Flanges 24, 25 and 26 are adapted to fit into channels 27 in base 10. Channels 27 serve as a track for the movement of slide member 13 and' the anges 24, 25 and 26,'prevent any lateral movement of. the slide member on base 10. Flanges 24 and 26 may be omitted if desired.

' There is a block 28 at the rear end of base 10. Block 28 is provided with an axial bore 2 9 which is in alignment with 'a threaded axialbor'e 30', passing through a portion of clamping block 16. Second movable jaw 16 has a cutout portion, as indicated at 30. A screw 31 passes through cut-out 30 and is threaded in bore 30. A conventional handle 32 is provided at the rearward end of the screw. 'Rotation of handle 32 will rotate' screw 31 and move slide member 13 in channels 27 in base 10.

Cut-out 30 prevents block 28 from interfering with the positioning of jaw on clamping block 1S. Furthermore, cut-out 30 allows the vise to be opened the same distance that it could be opened if jaw 16 were not attached to clamping block 15 inasmuch as cut-out 30 will ride over block 28 when slide member 13 is moved rearwardly the maximum distance.

in operation, handle 32 is rotated until the distance between fixed jaw 11 (with or without plate 11a attached thereto) and either movable jaw 14, clamping block 15 or movable jaw 16 is of a width substantially equal to the size of the work to be inserted in the vise. Clamping block 15 is of a height greater than movable jaw 14 in front of it and movable jaw 16 is of a height greater than clamping block 15 in front of it so that the work may be inserted between either face 12 (or 12a) and face 17, face 12 (or 12a) and face 18, or face 12a and face 19. The height of movable jaw 16 is preferably equal to the height of plate 11a so that work may beheld between faces 19 and 12a, although this height may vary depending upon the particular use to which the vise is to be put. If the work is to be inserted between the fixed jaw and either clamping block 15 or movable jaw 16, part of the work will rest on top surface or ledge 33 of movable jaw 14 or top surface or ledge 34 of clamping block 15. Ledges 33 and 34 are particularly useful in supporting a thin piece of work which is to be positioned in the vise. For example, as shown in Fig. l, a thin piece of work 35 is shown in dotted lines as being held between the fixed jaw and clamping block 15, with the bottom of work 35 resting on ledge 33.

It' it is desired, removable metal plates (not shown) similar to plate 11a may be positioned on faces 17, 18 and 19. Such metal plates will serve as gripping jaws to hold the work. Use of such plates will prevent daml yto be loosened.

age to jaws 14, I5 and I6' and may be replaced when the work in position. may consist of' a pair of threaded bolts 36, passing through- Yapertures 37 in jaw 16 and apertures' (not shown) in plate 11a, and a pair of threaded nuts 39. When boltsl 36 and nuts 39 arey inl position, inadvertent jarring or bumping of handle 32l Will'not cause the vise 1t vis apparent that the vise, while havingrthree movable jaw surfaces for mounting Work, may have'only two such jaw surfaces-'or' more than three suchv jawV surfaces. It is onlyl necessary that the jaw' surfaces be arranged in stepped relationship, with each step higher than the step4 immediately in front thereof. Furthermore, base 105 may' be mounted upon any' suitable support such as a rotatable member or a swingable universal member as is well known in the art.

Although I have described the vise of the present invention in considerabie detail, it is to be understood that the invention isintended to be illustrative rather than restrictive and' that the invention is capable of a v variety of modifications without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, I do not intend to be restricted to the exact' structure described.

I claim: Y

1.Y A vise comprising a base, a fixed jaw on said base,

a iirst movable jaw on said base, a second movable jaw on said base, a movableA clamping block between said first movable jaw and said second movable jaw, said movable jaws and said clamping block being rigidly joined together, said secondY movable jaw'being of substantially Vthe same height as said xed jaw and being of greater height than saidl damping block, said clamplt may be desired to provideV locking meansV to hold As shown, such locking meansV ing block being of greater height' than said rst movable jaw, channels in said base, 'anges on said movable jaws and said clamping block Vslidable in said channels, an adjustable screw---to-move saidmovable jaws and said' clamping block toward or away from said'fixed jaw, and

locking bolts extending between and interconnecting said fixed jaw and said second movable jaw to lock said movable jaws and said clamping block in position of adjustment.

2.V A vise as recited in claim 1 having a block on the rear of said base through which said adjustable screw passes and a cut-out in said second movable jaw to permit said secondv movable jawto move rearwardly over said block.

3. A vise comprising abase, a fixed jaw on therfront of said base, a plurality'of movable jaws on said base, said movable jaws being rigidly connected to one another and movable toward or way from said Vfixed jaw, said movable jaws being of varying height andarranged in step fashiom each of said movable jaws Ybeing, of lesser height than the movable jaw immediately 'therebehind, means to move said movable', jaws toward or away from said fixed jaw, and means to lock said' movable4 jaws and said fixed jaw in position of adjustment.

References Cited inthe file of this patent Switzerland Nov. 16, 

